On July 24, 2024, an en banc panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit released a decision in Consumers’ Research et al. v. FCC holding that the Federal Communications Commission’s Universal Service Fund (“USF”) contribution mechanism violates Article I, Section 1 of the Constitution and remanded…
Chairwoman Rosenworcel announced on July 16 that the Commission is considering adoption of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeking comment on proposals to regulate AI-generated robocalls. The draft NPRM, released this afternoon, is the outgrowth of a November 2023 Notice of Inquiry and follows several recent FCC actions intended…
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last week warned 13 property owners in the New York City area that illegal FM radio broadcasts were emanating from their properties, and that they could face multimillion-dollar fines if the transmissions do not promptly cease. To operate a broadcast station, the Communications Act of…
August 1 is the deadline for broadcast stations licensed to communities in California, Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina and Wisconsin to place their Annual EEO Public File Report in their Public Inspection File and post the report on their station website. Under the FCC’s EEO Rule, all radio and television…
This advisory is directed to television stations with locally-produced programming whose signals were carried by at least one cable system located outside the station’s local service area or by a satellite provider that provided the station’s signal to at least one viewer outside the station’s local service area during 2023.…
Pillsbury’s communications lawyers have published the FCC Enforcement Monitor monthly since 1999 to inform our clients of notable FCC enforcement actions against FCC license holders and others. This month’s issue includes: Louisiana TV Station Admonished for Lack of Non-Discrimination Clause in Advertising Contracts $25,000 Fine for a Variety of Rule…
The next Quarterly Issues/Programs List (“Quarterly List”) must be placed in stations’ Public Inspection Files by July 10, 2024, reflecting information for the months of April, May, and June 2024. Content of the Quarterly List The FCC requires each broadcast station to air a reasonable amount of programming responsive to…
Pillsbury’s communications lawyers have published the FCC Enforcement Monitor monthly since 1999 to inform our clients of notable FCC enforcement actions against FCC license holders and others. This month’s issue includes: FCC Issues Six Notices of Apparent Liability to Pirate Radio Operators Across Massachusetts Affordable Connectivity Program Provider Faces $8…
June 1 is the deadline for broadcast stations licensed to communities in Arizona, the District of Columbia, Idaho, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming to place their Annual EEO Public File Report in their Public Inspection File and post the report on their station…
On April 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor published final regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) that ultimately raise the minimum salary necessary to be exempt from federal overtime rules by 65%. These changes affect all businesses subject to the FLSA, but broadcasters and other media employers…